


Just give in

by BridgetMcKennitt



Series: Change Your Mind [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Community: fic_promptly, Future Fic, M/M, POV Stiles, Soul Bond, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-14
Updated: 2014-09-14
Packaged: 2018-02-17 08:11:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2302691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BridgetMcKennitt/pseuds/BridgetMcKennitt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles' POV of <i>Caught in the way you got me</i>. Stiles was angry and had no problem at all using Derek to unleash his anger. That is, until he found out they were soulmates. Now Stiles was going to use it to his advantage. He had no problem with that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just give in

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Author's choice, author's choice, celebrate good times
> 
> Title is a lyric from the song _Girls/Girls/Boys_ by Panic! At The Disco.

If he could go back in time, Stiles would sacrifice himself again for his dad. But the sacrifice he did with Scott and Allison for the Nemeton came with consequences. His heart was darkened because of the Nemeton and he found himself unable to sleep at night. He also found himself getting angrier faster and without warning. Everyday, Stiles found himself fighting hard not to snap at teachers or his dad, or even Scott. They weren't the cause of his anger. The Nemeton was.

This continued for a year and Stiles didn't know what to do. Then Derek came back into town and Stiles' anger focused on him.

Derek was such an easy and well deserved target. Practically everything he did was stupid and irritating, and Stiles felt better sniping at him than he did at anyone else. It didn't matter that Derek was just as hot as he was before he left Beacon Hills, which was infuriating on another level. Stiles could be angry at Derek and it was okay.

So when Derek agreed with Scott to become bait for an incubus, Stiles felt himself getting angry at him. Derek was just going to get hurt for no reason. He had done the research and an incubus was strong and fierce. So when Derek got hurt, Stiles felt justified in his anger.

Derek tried to argue with Deaton that they could leave him and Stiles was right there to argue back.

"Are you kidding? You would have been dead if it wasn't for us."

"I'm aware of that, Stiles, and I thank you, but you don't have to stay the night while I heal. You should go home and sleep."

Stiles shouldn't have listened to Scott because when they returned to the vet the next day, Derek wasn't there. He had an idea and told Scott where he was going. Stiles drove to Derek's loft, getting angrier the closer he got to the building. Why didn't Derek listen? He never listened.

When Stiles saw Derek fast asleep in his bed, he stomped closer and began shaking his shoulders.

Derek woke up and called out his name, his voice filled with sleep.

Stiles was pissed. "You're an asshole, you know that? Why did you leave Deaton's? We thought something happened to you before I had the idea of checking your loft. Surprise, surprise, here you are."

Derek yawned into his palm and Stiles noticed how good Derek looked when he just woke up. "I couldn't sleep there, so I came here."

"And how did you get here, huh?"

"I walked. No one had brought my car to the vet's office, so I had to walk. It's fine."

Derek was still injured, he could tell by the gentle way Derek held himself, and he managed to walk all the way home. He could have died. Stiles' upper lip curled as he sneered. "Oh yeah, just fine and dandy. You could have died on the way here and no one would have known."

It felt good to take his anger out on Derek. Derek just made things so easy for him. He left Derek's loft feeling better about himself. He needed that rush from Derek.

And then Stiles spotted Derek while he and his dad were shopping at the grocery store. Somehow his dad invited Derek over for dinner the next night and Stiles was thrilled. He'd have another opportunity to insult Derek and he didn't even have to leave his house. Stiles placed his hand over his heart as he felt the darkness swell within himself.

Surprisingly, it was a good dinner. He managed to get in some zingers with Derek, but all in all, he enjoyed having dinner with his dad and Derek. Stiles didn't really expect that. Derek was polite and an entirely different person than when he had last left Beacon Hills a year ago. In fact, during most of their exchanges, Derek had seemed like a different person.

Suspiciously like a different person, almost like he was cursed.

Stiles scowled as he began researching. Derek must have gotten cursed either while he was gone or when he had returned. Of course, Derek got cursed. Derek never had the best luck anyway, but Stiles had his back. Stiles was going to save him. If he could throw it in Derek's face afterward, so much the better.

He consulted with Deaton over the type of curses Derek could have been cursed with. Deaton was skeptical, but Stiles knew what was going on. Only he could save Derek.

When he arrived at the loft, Stiles took a moment to note how good Derek looked before barging inside and unpacking his backpack.

"Stiles, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help. I've been talking with Deaton the past few days and we think you've been cursed. It must have happened before you came back to Beacon Hills because of how weird you've been lately."

Derek was frowning at him, but Stiles knew he was right. "I'm not cursed."

"Yeah, you are. Don't worry, big guy. I've been practicing for awhile and I think I know how to break it."

"Stiles, you don't even know what it _is_. And I'm not cursed."

Derek was right, he wasn't cursed. He had a soulmate and _Stiles_ was his soulmate.

Stiles was taken aback by the revelation before thinking about what that meant for him. There would never be anyone else for Derek but Stiles, and Stiles kind of liked that idea. He didn't like the idea though that Derek wasn't going to do anything about it, especially since Derek got a great deal out of their bond and Stiles didn't. Stiles wouldn't get anything out of the bond until they made their bond official which Derek didn't want to do because there was no turning back once Stiles said yes. There was a way around that though and just thinking about it made Stiles feel smug. He always had brilliant plans.

Stiles straddled Derek's thighs, ready to convince Derek of his plan.

"So I won't say yes right away. We'll date first and I'll see if I want to soulbond marry you."

"If we're dating, you won't be able to feel anything from the bond because you're not a werewolf."

" _True_ , but I'll have someone I can hug, kiss, and talk to. That may not be the same as the bond, but I'm not going to say no to it." He wiggled on Derek's lap. Derek was going to give in. He could feel it in his bones. "Come on, what do you have to lose? You were already resigned to me hating you. Can't get worse than that."

"We can try. If you want. It might not end well."

"Eh, like I said, it's not like our relationship would get any worse than what we've already gone through. This is beneficial to both of us."

"Okay, okay."

Kissing Derek was awesome. He wanted to keep doing it forever. This was much better than just insulting and arguing with Derek. Stiles had the best of ideas.

*

Another of his ideas was the two of them going out on a date. Regular people went out on dates all the time. It made Stiles' day to see Derek interacting with his dad, especially since his dad knew Stiles and Derek were soulmates. Having a boyfriend was a comfort against the darkness of his heart, but he still couldn't help putting Derek in slightly uncomfortable situations for his own amusement.

The date went well and Stiles informed Derek that he was spending the night over at the loft and he already told his dad about it.

"He didn't say anything about that?" Derek raised his eyebrow.

"Well, he might have tried to, but it's not like you're going to do anything to me, and he knows that." Stiles flashed a smile at Derek to reassure him. "I don't put out on the first date, Derek."

They snuggled together on the couch to watch Batman movies until they cleaned up and went to bed. In the entire year since he had sacrificed himself to the Nemeton, Stiles hadn't been able to get a good night's sleep until tonight when he was cradled within Derek's arms.

*

Light peeked through the loft's windows, but Stiles didn't want to wake up. Instead, he buried his face in the crook of Derek's neck and snuggled deeper in Derek's embrace. His dad wasn't going to like it, but he was going to try and sleep with Derek every night from now on. Last night he slept perfectly fine with no nightmares. If dating Derek meant his nights were free from nightmares, his dad could just deal with it.

When Derek shifted, Stiles felt the hard press of Derek's cock against his thigh. Stiles wondered if Derek would freak out if he reached out to grab it. Derek seemed amenable to his suggestions so far, so maybe he wouldn't. Stiles pushed up against Derek.

Derek kissed the top of his head in response. "Morning," he murmured, his voice thick with sleep. "You sleep well?"

"I did." Stiles lifted his head so he could kiss Derek on the lips. "Except when you woke me up during the night, I slept just fine."

"Sorry." Derek rolled them until he was on his back and Stiles was on top of him.

"I'm not complaining. You're the best cure for insomnia. You should always sleep in my bed." Stiles wiggled his groin against Derek's. "What do you think?"

"I think we should eat breakfast." Derek braced his hands on Stiles' ass. "I have some eggs and bacon in the fridge. Then maybe your dad and I can talk about our future."

Our future. Derek was already planning for their future. Stiles pressed his hand against his chest where he could feel his heart pumping. He didn't have the urge to yell at Derek. He wasn't feeling angry. Stiles wasn't sure if that was because of their bond, which he didn't quite believe that only Derek could feel before they made it official, or if it was because they were dating and any ol' person would do.

"Okay, we can do that. We can also tell my dad that you're sleeping in my bed from now on." Stiles flashed him a grin before sliding off Derek and the bed.

Derek sat up. "Wait, what?"

"You heard me. We're taking the next step in our soulmate bonding. Aren't you thrilled?"

"Uh, I don't know if that's the word I'd use." Derek tilted his head and Stiles wanted to laugh at the confused look on Derek's face. "It's early and you're not making sense. I'm going to make us breakfast." Derek pushed the rest of the blankets off of him and got out of bed.

Stiles leered at Derek's shirtless body. He could do that now. Stiles lifted himself onto the kitchen counter as Derek opened the fridge to pull out the eggs and bacon.

"How is the bond feeling for you?"

Derek glanced at him and he had a soft smile. "It feels good. Stronger."

"You're totally getting high off me. Look at how happy you are." Stiles chuckled as he shook his head. "Derek Hale, happy. Who would have thought?"

"Not me." Derek turned around as he began cracking eggs into a bowl. "Though I still think this might be a bad idea."

"Hey, hey. Leave the thinking to me. I have great ideas and this is a great idea." Stiles got off the counter and pressed himself against Derek's back. "We're going to be fine. You're happy, I'm happy, so let's keep riding this dating train. But seriously though, we're going to continue sleeping together. Best night's sleep ever."

"We'll talk about that with your dad." He paused. "I don't mind if we do it again though. I like sleeping with you."

"Good. Because if I get my way, it's going to be happening all the time." Stiles kissed the back of Derek's neck and stepped back. "I'll be right back."

Stiles headed for the bathroom to clean up. When he returned to the kitchen, Derek had just finished cooking breakfast. Stiles sat down at the table while Derek sat a plate in front of him before sitting down himself.

As Stiles ate, he reached out with his foot to hook his ankle around Derek's. Derek just gave him a fond look.

"So what do you want to do today?" Derek asked as he picked up his glass of water. "Whatever you want."

"Really? Those are dangerous words."

Derek shrugged. "I trust you. You're my soulmate."

"Are you sure I can't just say yes to our bonding right now so I can feel the awesome effects of having a soulmate?"

"Not yet." It wasn't a no, so Stiles rubbed his ankle up and down Derek's leg. "Stiles, I don't want you to rush into something permanent, especially with someone like me."

"You still think I hate you, don't you?" Stiles kind of wanted to get angry at Derek, but he looked cute with his sleep tousled hair and soft expression. This was totally a Derek specific thing. "Because I don't. Never have. Maybe the closest thing was having a hateboner for you, but the hate was purely for your actions, not on you."

Derek rolled his eyes. "You're such a sweet talker. Just for that, you're cleaning up."

"That's fair. I have some errands to run today. Want to come with me and call it a date?"

"Sure."

After they finished breakfast, Derek went to shower while Stiles cleaned up their dishes. He had a boyfriend and a soulmate. When he took a deep breath and thought about Derek, he felt good. The anger simmered far below the surface and he liked that it wasn't so readily within his reach.

Stiles placed the last dish on the rack to dry before heading towards the bathroom. He could still hear the water running and he imagined Derek's naked body wet and soapy. Stiles licked his lips. If he didn't touch Derek, it didn't count as moving too fast in their relationship, right?

He opened the door and pushed aside the shower curtain. Derek just gave him a look as he continued washing off the soap suds.

"Don't mind me," Stiles said as he greedily took in Derek's naked body. "Just continue with what you're doing."

"Uh huh. We're not having sex, Stiles." Derek cupped his hand to catch some water and splashed it on his face.

"This is a touch free zone, I get it, but I'm totally allowed to watch my hot boyfriend be naked. It's in the rulebook."

Derek turned off the water and when he held out his arm, Stiles handed him a towel.

"If you say so. I haven't seen you naked yet though." Stiles grinned when Derek smirked at him. "I'll be ready soon. Then we can go and run your errands."

"You sure you don't want to be naked some more? We can do that all day, too."

Derek opened the door and gently shoved Stiles outside. "Or we can run your errands and go talk with your dad. Give me a few minutes."

"Your penis is awesome!" Stiles shouted as Derek shut the door. He laughed to himself before heading towards the bedroom. Just for that, Stiles was going to dig into Derek's closet and wear his clothes.

*

Stiles checked off his mental list of everything he had to do today. He even added a few things to keep Derek with him, like getting his Jeep washed or buying that brand of soap he really liked, even though he already had some at home. Derek followed close behind him and the heat radiating from his body soothed Stiles.

"You should kiss me." They were in the checkout line at the grocery store and there were a few people ahead of them. "It'll help the line move faster."

"Will it?" Derek gave him a look that he knew it wouldn't.

"Maybe it will. You never know." Stiles grinned when Derek leaned in to kiss him. "Thank you. Oh hey, the line moved. See, it worked."

"Uh huh." Derek placed his hand on the small of Stiles' back as they moved forward. "If we're done with the rest of your list, we can head over to your dad's office after this. We'll bring him lunch."

"We can do lunch. Do you think my dad needs a bribe for the sleeping arrangement talk or is that just promoting bad habits?"

"Your talk, your decision, but you should probably go the middle road with the food option." They arrived at the front of the line and Derek pulled out his wallet. "I'll get this."

"Boyfriend _and_ sugar daddy. I scored a good deal."

Derek rolled his eyes as he handed his credit card to the cashier. "Just for that I should leave you alone with your dad today."

"Liar." Stiles grabbed the plastic bag as the cashier handed Derek the receipt. "We're soulmates, buddy. You wouldn't leave me."

"I wouldn't. Let's go get lunch and visit your dad."

They grabbed lunch and headed towards the sheriff department. Stiles kept glancing at Derek while he drove. Stiles was content, but he wanted Derek to feel that way even without the bond. He placed his palm on Derek's thigh and squeezed it lightly.

"Hey so, if I'm taking things too far or anything like that, you'll let me know, right?"

"You haven't."

"That's not what I asked."

Derek glanced over at him. "I'll let you know, but Stiles, I've known you for awhile now. You're doing just fine. I don't need you to be perfect. We're both assholes anyway."

Stiles chuckled and left his hand on Derek's thigh as Derek pulled into the parking lot of the sheriff department.

"Dad should be in his office right now so we'll go have lunch with him. Just leave the talking to me. I don't think anyone else besides my dad knows we're dating so be cool."

Stiles grabbed the bag of food and they headed inside the building with Derek right behind him. He greeted the deputies he had known since he was a kid as they made their way to his dad's office. Stiles gave a brief knock on the door before pushing it open.

"Hey dad. I brought lunch."

The Sheriff looked up from the paperwork on his desk and gave Stiles a wry smile. "Looks like you also brought Derek along with you."

"I did. We were on a date." Stiles dropped the bag on his dad's desk and began taking out the food. "Derek, close the door? Thanks."

"You're trying to bribe me with fries. What is it?"

"Come on, dad. Let's at least eat first before we begin talking about business." Stiles beamed at his dad before beaming at Derek. "Isn't that right, Derek?"

"I'm sorry, sir. This is all on Stiles."

"I figured it was." The Sheriff reached across the desk to offer Derek his hand. "It's good you're here though. You're pretty much family since you're my son's soulmate and all."

Derek shook the Sheriff's hand. "Thank you, sir."

Once they finished eating their burgers and fries, Stiles decided it was time to tell his dad his brilliant idea. "So dad…"

"Uh oh." The Sheriff leaned back in his chair. "So what brilliant idea are you going to try and convince me to agree with?"

"You know how I've been having insomnia since the Nemeton incident? Well, great news. I was able to sleep through the night when I slept with Derek in his bed. So I was thinking this is something that should continue to happen."

The Sheriff raised his eyebrow and glanced at Derek. "Derek, what do you think?"

"It's whatever you and Stiles want, sir." Stiles glanced at Derek and saw how Derek refused to look at the Sheriff.

"Hmm." The Sheriff looked at Stiles. "And where exactly would you and Derek be sleeping? His place?"

"Or ours if that helps any." Judging by the look on his dad's face though, it didn't. "It's for a good cause. I like sleeping, you like sleeping, Derek likes helping people out. Win, win."

The Sheriff sighed, loud and annoyed. He pointed his finger at Derek before immediately pointing it at Stiles. "I know I said you could stay over at Derek's last night but I didn't mean you sleeping together."

"We just slept in the same bed, dad. Chill. There was no hanky panky involved."

"I don't care. I get he's your soulmate, I'm not going to dispute that, but there's only so much I can take. You're my teenaged son, Stiles. I can't forget that."

Derek cleared his throat to catch the Sheriff's attention. "Sir, I understand your concerns, but I also want to help ease Stiles' burden. I can sleep on the floor next to his bed if that helps."

"It doesn't, but thanks for trying, Derek." The Sheriff looked upward towards the ceiling. "Stiles, are you sure it's because of Derek that you slept better last night?"

"Yup, one hundred percent."

"How about this? Stiles, tonight you're going to sleep in your own bed and Derek will sleep at his own place. If you can't sleep or you still have nightmares, we'll talk about what we can do." He rubbed his palm over his face. "I don't know if it's better that I know about this supernatural stuff or when I didn't."

"Probably better you know so you don't freak out over Derek being my soulmate." Stiles grinned as his dad stared at him. "What? Like you wouldn't freak out at me having a boyfriend so much older than me."

The Sheriff ignored Stiles as he looked at Derek. "Derek, how do you feel about having dinner tonight at our house?"

"I'd like that, sir."

"Good. Stiles, you're cooking." He shooed them out. "Now get out of here, the both of you."

"I'm going to hold Derek's hand when we leave your office." Stiles whistled innocently when his dad glared at him. "See you at home, dad."

"Good bye, sir."

Just like Stiles said he would, he reached for Derek's hand and held it as he opened the door. He caught some of the glances from the deputies who knew him and Stiles figured once they left, they would go visit his dad to ask not so subtle questions about Stiles' love life. He liked that thought.

Once they got into the car, Stiles turned to Derek. "We're going to be the talk of the town after this."

"I assume that's what you wanted?" Derek looked back as he pulled out of the parking space and drove them out of the parking lot. "As long as I'm not going to get grief for it from your dad or his deputies, I don't mind."

"I'll make sure you won't. Let's go back to my place. I think we have enough stuff to make dinner."

They drove to Stiles' house and Stiles opened the fridge to check to see what they had. Derek made himself useful by pulling out pots and pans in case Stiles needed them.

"Okay, it looks like we have enough to make pasta and a salad. Wanna help me out by making the salad?"

"I can do that."

Derek stood next to Stiles as he began ripping up lettuce into a glass bowl. Stiles began boiling a pot of water on the stove so he could add the pasta shells in.

"Hey, so does Cora knows about us?"

"She knows you're my soulmate, but I haven't told her about us trying out dating." Derek glanced at Stiles. "Is it okay if I tell her about us?"

"Hell yeah, tell her! Can I be on the phone with you when you do it? She's going to flip."

"Cora's going to be surprised, that's for certain. She agreed with me that you hated me."

The Hales' attitude was something Stiles was going to have to work on. Derek was his boyfriend and soulmate, Cora was Derek's sister, and that meant they'd be a part of each other's lives for a long, long time. Stiles didn't want to deal with their distrust any longer than he had to. That wasn't what he wanted out of a relationship with Derek. He wanted the good parts, not the bad. He already had enough bad parts in his life.

"Well, I'm going to change her mind, just like I'm going to change yours."

Stiles leaned into Derek and took Derek's earlobe between his lips to pull at it before moving away. Derek's eyes widened and he looked like he was surprised that he liked that. Stiles grinned. That was going to be useful.

"Stiles," Derek said in warning.

"What? I'm allowed to do that. You get to be happy from our bond without fuss or muss, so I gotta come up with my own methods to make use of the bond. Right?"

Derek rolled his eyes, but he wasn't upset. There was a slight smile on his face. "Okay."

They finished making dinner and Derek stepped out to the living room to call Cora. Stiles put a lid on the pasta pot before sneaking towards the living room to hear Derek's half of the conversation. He couldn't help himself. He wanted to hear what Derek had to say to his sister.

Whatever Cora said made Derek pinch the bridge of his nose. "Cora, it's not like that. No, you're wrong. I'm not making a mistake."

Derek damn well wasn't making a mistake, not when it came to the two of them. Stiles stomped towards Derek and took the phone out of his hand before Derek could stop him.

"Cora, it's Stiles. Your brother and I are perfectly happy together. Stop being a grump."

"I'm being realistic, Stiles. Being soulmates doesn't mean what you seem to think it means. Just walk away from Derek before you hurt him."

"No. I'm going to stay with Derek for as long as he lets me." Stiles ended the call and turned to Derek. "It's going to take a lot longer than I expected to convince your sister of my intentions."

Derek shrugged. "It's not like I didn't know how stubborn the both of you can get."

"Well, I can out stubborn either of you any day of the week, so don't even think about backing out from our relationship." Stiles reached for Derek's hand so he could hold it. "I'm going to prove to you that I want our soulmate bonding."

"You want to use it like you'd use any sort of tool." Derek sounded dismissive, like he didn't believe that Stiles was sincere.

Stiles snorted. He was going to be make Derek into a believer. Just because Derek was getting high and happy off their bond didn't mean that Stiles didn't want the same, or wanted the bond for that alone. Even if the bond was superballs amazing, if Derek wasn't a person that Stiles honestly wanted to be around, Stiles wouldn't care.

He cared about Derek and he suspected he'd care a lot more about him the longer they dated. They were connected no matter what Derek thought about it. They were good for each other.

"Let's go set the table before dad comes home. I'm going to wow him so much that he's going to forget that he wants the two of us to sleep separately tonight."

Derek chuckled as he shook his head. "Your dad is not going to budge. He loves you, but he knows you're not serious about our relationship. You have no reason to be."

Stiles stared at Derek as a surge of darkness clutched at his heart. "Are you shitting me right now? We're soulmates _and_ we're dating. That's plenty serious right there."

"For now. One day you're going to fall in love with someone and realize this was a huge waste of time."

Just as Derek turned towards the kitchen, Stiles reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him. "You may not believe me now, but I'm going to make you see that I want this, that I want _you_." Derek gave Stiles a look like he didn't believe him, but Stiles didn't care. He was stubborn and he was going to prove Derek wrong.

*

_Four years later_

"Honey, I'm home!"

Stiles slammed the door shut as he entered the house he shared with Derek. He was in his last year of college and Derek followed him to USC. At the time, Derek almost didn't go with him, but Stiles insisted. Not because of the bond they shared, though that was part of it, but because Stiles wasn't going to go to USC alone while his boyfriend stayed in Beacon Hills by himself.

It took a couple of years for Stiles to wear Derek down, but he did it and they were doing great. They were even having sex whenever possible. Stiles grinned as he kicked off his shoes. They were doing so great that tonight was the night Derek was going to propose to him and they'd complete their bond. The two of them were going to be soulmate married _and_ married.

"I'm in the kitchen."

Stiles stepped into the kitchen and took a moment to appreciate Derek wearing a pink apron and holding a wooden spoon. He walked up to Derek and kissed his cheek. "What's for dinner?"

"Lamb chops with a sweet potato puree."

"Delicious." Stiles moved in front of him and hooked his fingers in the belt hoops on Derek's jeans to pull him in. "Sounds fancy, even. It sounds great for our celebratory dinner."

"Oh, and what are we celebrating?" Derek smirked as he said it.

"The fact that you're going to let us bond. There'll be plenty of bonding tonight going on." Stiles waggled his eyebrows so Derek got the point.

"Yes." Derek reached for Stiles' hands. "You were right all along. I love you and you love me. We're building a life together and that has nothing to do with the bond. So yes, it's high time we cement the bond between us."

Stiles grinned as he leaned forward to kiss Derek. It wasn't like this was the first time Derek had said something similar during their relationship and it certainly wouldn't be the last if Stiles had anything to say about it.

He pulled back and rubbed his thumb along Derek's bottom lip. "So how do we do this? It's not like sex bonds us or anything."

"I'll tell you after dinner. Now go change so we can eat." Derek smacked Stiles on his ass and Stiles laughed.

"Fine, fine." He kissed Derek's cheek before heading up the stairs. He quickly got out of his school clothes and got into a loose shirt and slacks. When Stiles walked downstairs, he saw Derek bringing the food out to their dining room.

Dinner was delicious, just as Stiles figured it'd be. As he scooped a spoonful of puree into his mouth, Stiles slid his foot until he hooked his ankle with Derek's. Now he was comfortable.

"When is your next psychology exam?" Derek asked.

"Next week. I'm going to get an A thanks to you." Derek had stayed up with him the last couple of nights to help him study with flashcards. "What about your studies? How close are you to becoming Sexy Nurse Derek?"

Derek chuckled. "At least a year, and you know I'm trying to become a registered nurse, not some pinup model."

"Nah, you're a sexy man. Nothing will change that. So Sexy Nurse Derek it is."

When they finished dinner and cleared away the table, Derek led Stiles to their couch in the living room. They sat down and Derek took Stiles' hands in his.

"Are you ready?" Derek asked.

Stiles had never been more ready in his life. "So ready. How do we do this?"

"It's difficult to explain, so I'm just going to have to just do it. You'll need to let me in." With that, Derek closed his eyes and Stiles just stared at him for a moment before closing his own eyes.

At first, Stiles saw and felt nothing. If he didn't know Derek, he'd suspect that Derek was trying to pull the wool over his eyes. Then suddenly, he felt Derek's presence. It wasn't his physical presence, but something _more_ poking at him.

"Uh, how do I let you in?" He wasn't going to screw this up, he wasn't. Stiles wanted to be bonded with Derek forever. He loved him.

Stiles felt the slightest hint of Derek's frustration, which was so cool and strange all at the same time, and Stiles furrowed his brow. He could do this. Derek may not be able to explain how to do this, but Stiles didn't need him to. Stiles was smart enough to figure it out for himself.

He took a deep breath and tried to search for Derek. It seemed stupid, but Derek was poking him and he felt Derek's emotions. This bond was a two-way street. He just had to find the street in the first place.

And then he did. He sensed Derek just as clearly like he was staring at him. Stiles reached out and touched Derek's presence. He didn't expect it to be a solid weight, but it was and he felt Derek's happiness radiating back at him.

Derek was right, it couldn't be explained. Somehow Stiles knew, in an instant, that their bond solidified together and Stiles' breath caught at the intensity coming off in waves from Derek. Derek had always said that he couldn't tell what Stiles was feeling or thinking through their bond, but Stiles definitely got both from Derek.

Stiles opened his eyes and Derek was gazing fondly at him. "You're in my head." Stiles licked his lips. "You're in my heart. Is this what the bond is supposed to be like? Because you're a dick for keeping this from me all these years."

Derek shook his head. "It's never been like that. Not until now." He frowned like he just thought of something. "I don't want to intrude on your privacy, Stiles."

"You won't." Stiles took a deep breath to steady himself. "I'm not feeling your emotions now, so maybe it only happens when we're feeling strongly about something? We can work on putting up walls in any case so we don't keep bleeding into each other. But hey, we're soulmates! Officially mated in our souls. Come here and kiss me."

The smile Derek gave him lit up the room and lit up Stiles' heart through their bond. And when Derek kissed him, it felt like he wanted to explode with sunlight and happiness. They were really going to have to work on putting up boundaries on their bond because it was going to complicate their lives if they kept feeding off each other like this, but for now, Stiles was pretty thrilled with the bond. He was definitely going to kick Derek in the shins for not letting him get some of this bond loving years ago.

Stiles deepened the kiss and flooded Derek with his happy emotions.


End file.
